Vampire Zodiac
by Korena Renning
Summary: Continuing from chapter 13, Karin is in the trouble. She has to hunt to survive through the new moon, but is discovered by the person she last wishes to see her in that condition. To make it worse, drama at school catches up to her. What will she do?
1. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

As promised, Kaname didn't come to the park at night for the next three days. He would come and talk with me after school at the park. I told him to not walk with me home so he would leave school and run to the park. I had to admit, it was fun when I was chatting with Kaname. The followers were also starting to relax. They were self-assured that I wasn't talking to Kaname anymore, or so they thought. School became difficult for me during this time. I was often tired when I came to school. Despite drinking blood on the night of the new moon, the morphing was using a lot of my energy and I was always late for school. Hino and Kisa asked me what was wrong on the second day of the new moon.

"Are you okay, Karin? You look like you need major sleep right now." I nodded.

"Yeah. I just recently got a job and the job was so busy that I was staying extra hours. But then, when I get home, I can't sleep, so now I'm like this. But don't worry about me. I'll be fine. The job is just for another few days." I said. My friends still looked worried.

"At least let us help you. You can go to the nurse and get some rest. It's just homeroom for now and we can take notes for you." They offered. I smiled.

"Thanks. I think I'll do that. See you at second period." I said. I got up and left the classroom and headed for the nurse's office. The nurse was an old friend to me. I opened the door.

"Hi, Michelle-chan." I greeted. Michelle turned around from her desk and smiled at me. When she had gotten a full look at me, worry creased her forehead.

"My! You look pale, Karin. And you look like you could use some sleep." I nodded.

"Get in bed. I'll wake you up at second period." She said. I smiled at her.

"Arigato (Thanks) Michelle." I got under the covers and soon drifted in to sleep.

"Wake up, Karin. Its time for second period." Michelle's voice woke me up. I stirred and moaned. I heard Michelle laugh.

"Get up. Come on." Michelle encouraged. I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes. I was feeling a lot better now that I had gotten some sleep.

"Feel better?" Michelle asked. I nodded. She handed me a cup.

"Here. It's a cup of hot tea. Drink it. Tea can help you feel more awake and keep you up." Michelle ordered. I nodded and sipped the drink. It tasted great to me. Once I had finished the drink, Michelle sent me back to class. I slipped into the classroom and handed the pass to sensei (teacher). Kisa and Hino smiled at me.

"You look better." Kisa whispered. I nodded.

"I got some sleep and feel great now." We turned our attention back to the teacher. I felt alright throughout class. Drinking blood at night lasted all day and I didn't need to worry about going berserk during the day. I even decided to bake Kyo a cake when I got home. In home ec class, I made cookies and tied them in a bag for Kaname. _"Hope he likes them."_ I thought. I smiled to myself. I left Hino and Kisa at their neighborhood and went to the park to find five girls instead of Kaname. I was surprised.

"What are you people doing here?" I asked.

"We have evidence that you have not heeded our warning have been meeting Kaname-sama here after school." They accused. The leader held out a yellow envelope. I guessed that it contained pictures of our meetings.

"So? He chose to come here of his own free will. I have no control whether he comes here or not." I said.

"That's none of our concern, but you decided to talk and get along with him too. That is the issue at hand." She announced. "Oh great. Talking to this one person is a problem?" I thought. They surrounded me from either side. Suddenly, one of them pushed me from behind, I fell forward and another push hit me, sending me sideways. The girls laughed as they pushed me around. I tried to find away to escape, but they had caught me and it was too late to escape. As I was being pushed around, I figured that if I pushed one of them back, I could get an opening to flip and run. I did and indeed it opened a path for me to run. Another girl got in my way, but I did a round off in the air and landed behind her. They chased after me, but I was ahead of them and I soon lost them. I ran far away from them and stopped at the next park, less than a mile from my house. I stood there, panting for a while and looked around to check if there was anyone. Grateful that I was alone, I collapsed on the sidewalk and morphed into my other form. I had sprained my right ankle running away from them. I was sure that I had bruises all over my body. I was too tired to even lift my head and look over my injuries. I lay there, falling in and out of sleep. I was tense because it was the night of the new moon and I was afraid what would happen if someone came by. Two small children walked by and came over to me, but their mothers pulled them away, leaving me behind in the cold. Then, as I was drifting back into sleep, I felt someone walk past. The scent was familiar and the blood smelled familiar. The person came over and stroked my face. I opened my eyes and looked into a pair of deep, striking green eyes. They showed kindness and worry. It was familiar to me. _Who was this person?_ The person, I could tell it was a boy, picked me up gently and cradled me in his arms as he walked away from the park. I was too tired to notice the direction the boy was walking. I lulled into sleep as he patted my head and assured me with a crooning, smooth voice.


	2. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

I woke up in a dark room. I was comfortable in my surroundings. A clock next to me read midnight and its light shone on the face of the boy that had saved me. I looked at him closely. It was Kaname! The dark had obscured his features and I hadn't noticed that it was him. I was still in my four-legged form so I doubted that he recognized me. I looked at myself. I had bandages around my legs and waist. _Was I beat up that bad?_ I nosed around and finally laid back down. I would need to leave soon before I started to give in to my senses and drink his blood. I changed back and opened the window. It sounded almost loud when I slid it open in this silence. I patted his head gently and left, shutting the window behind me. A note was left on the blanket that had been my bed, "Thank you." It said.

I walked around until I had reached my neighborhood again. _"Hunting time."_ I thought. I looked around, using my senses rather then my eyes to look for prey. I heard a girl walking around, slightly drunk a half block away. "Nice." I muttered. I walked casually then morphed back into my dog form. My bandages helped add to my act of an injured dog. When I reached the girl, I whined and panted, causing the girl to stop and look closely at me. When she leaned her head down to look at my injuries, I quickly morphed back and grasped her neck in my teeth. She didn't have time to scream or move from her position. I was already drinking. My vampire saliva entered her blood stream, making her feel high and disoriented. She let out a soft moan of pleasure. I released her when I had felt that it was enough. She fainted and I laid her there on the sidewalk. I cleaned up the blood and made it look like she had fainted on the sidewalk. I heard running feet. "Darn it." I muttered under my breath. I quickly jumped away and hid in the shadows. A young man came up and looked at the girl. He was obviously her boyfriend.

"Kelsey! Kelsey, wake up." He exclaimed. She moaned and woke up.

"W-What happened to me?" She asked looking at him.

"I don't know. You left me and went this way. I followed you and found you lying on the ground here. Are you okay?" he asked. The girl suddenly seemed flustered. She turned away from him.

"It doesn't matter. It's not like you're my boyfriend anymore. Get away from me." She said. The boy sighed and hugged her, making her gasp in surprise. I smiled. Love really was a powerful and mysterious thing in our life. I left, deciding to not watch any more of this drama. I hunted down another human then went home. Kyo was there, as I suspected. He was probably in his room, hiding himself from me. I left a tray of onigirl (rice balls with seaweed) at his door with a glass of water for his dinner if he got hungry. Then I went to the bathroom and looked myself over. The damage wasn't permanent. I would be sore and bruised for three days tops. The bandages Kaname had tied on me were still there and I would need them. I took off the ones on my wrists and ankles and put on a salve that would help the swelling then tied the wrappings back on. Tired and content, I limped to bed and fell asleep.

The next morning, I was stiff and it was hard for me to do anything without flinching. Kyo took pity on me and did the morning chores for me. I thanked him as I hobbled out of the house. I met up with Kisa and Hino on the way to school and the bandages made them make a fuss over me.

"It's alright. It's not that bad. Don't worry. I'll be careful next time." I assured them. They sighed.

"How did you get all of these bruises anyway?" Kisa asked. I hesitated.

"Well, Kaname's followers saw me talking with him and decided to beat me. Please don't tell anyone. It's embarrassing." I explained quickly. Hino and Kisa frowned but then couldn't resist smiling slyly.

"You are talking to Kaname a lot now, aren't you? Do you like him? Do you?" they asked. I shook my head quickly.

"No! Of course not. I only like him as a friend. Besides, the girls would beat me up worse if they find me talking to him again and then suddenly dating him. No way!" I exclaimed. Kisa and Hino looked deflated.

"Is that all keeping you from getting to know Kaname better?" Hino asked.

"No. I wouldn't want to go out with him anyway. It's not me that goes to find and start a conversation with him, but the opposite. He talks to me after school when the girls aren't there, but somehow, they found me and beat me yesterday." I rejected.

"Aww! Our little Karin is being bullied by some girls! Don't worry, Karin. You have us here. We'll protect you from them. One of us will always be with you today, so no fear!" Said Hino. Kisa nodded. I smiled at them and looped my arms around theirs.

"You guys are the best! I love you guys!" I said. Then we all burst out laughing. I was so happy to know that I had friends that would protect me and stay with me to the end. As promised, either Kisa or Hino was with me during all of my classes. The group of followers couldn't attack me when I was always with someone. They tried to attack again during lunch, but both Hino and Kisa arrived to my rescue before they could start kicking and punching. I smiled at them and thanked them for helping. At lunch, I went to the library to read some books with Hino when Kaname came over and sat across from me while Hino was away looking for a book for a history report.

"Hi, Karin." He said. I ignored him and continued to read.

"Pretend to read and talk while doing that." I said, although it was an excuse for him to not get a good look at my injuries. He nodded. I smiled.

"Another night, huh?" he asked. I nodded. "I still have several unanswered questions, Karin."

"What are they? I can answer them here, just whisper. I can easily hear you." I said.

"Okay. How about, why don't you get burned by the sun?" he asked.

"Half, remember?" I reminded him. He took that into consideration.

"What else doesn't apply to you? Special powers? Blood lust? Killed by a wooden stake through the heart?? He questioned.

"I don't have any special powers, I sometimes go berserk if I don't get the needed blood, and I'm a normal human other then the hunting at night and my mixed blood." I answered. Kaname nodded.

"You had better leave. The followers are about to be here in three minutes. They're looking for me and/or you." I said. Kaname cocked an eyebrow.

"So you do have special powers." He commented.

"No. I'm so use to smelling their blood and scent that I can tell where they are within thirty meters of me." I replied. Kaname nodded, waved and left the library. I let out a breath of relief. Just then, Hino returned looking like she had just won the lottery.

"What?" I asked here, raising an eyebrow.

"Kaname was talking to you again. I didn't listen to your conversation, just watching for the followers." She said. I sighed.

"He was asking questions about our clubs. He wants to join the student council for some reason. I doubt he'll get any objections." I replied. "Let's leave, Hino. The followers are by the window right now." I said. She looked around. Sure enough, the group of five girls were looking through the window and searching for me.

"How did you know?" she asked as we sneaked out the side door of the library.

"I already saw them earlier." I replied. We made it to the classroom, where Kisa was waiting for us, without getting stopped by the followers. I breathed out in relief once I was in my seat. The rest of the day was uneventful. It was the last night of the new moon. I would get to see Kaname again after that. We were becoming really good friends now. As I walked home, I met up with the group of girls again. The surrounded me, but I was faster. I jumped up high and did a front flip that carried me away from the group they chased after me, but I was ahead. I ran to the trail and the girls didn't follow me, not knowing what was in the dark of the forest. I tripped twice as I ran so I ended up with a few scratches when I arrived home and found Kyo sitting on the couch.

"Yo." He said as I walked in. He looked me up and down as I sat down next to him.

"How did you end up with all of those bruises, anyways? And you have a few scratches on your face." He questioned.

"I got beat up yesterday when I was on my way home and because it was the new moon, I morphed into my other form and someone found me. Surprisingly, it was one of my classmates. I was late getting home afterwards because I needed to hunt." I explained to him. Kyo caught the quick pause as I had told him that it was classmate.

"It was the boy that you brought here, wasn't it? Did he recognize you?" he asked. I shook my head. Kyo sighed in relief and patted my head.

"I'll get you some bandages and a cloth to clean the new cuts. If you meet up with the group that beat you up, tell me and I can deal with them for you." Kyo offered. I shook my head.

"No. This is my own problem and not yours. I want to deal with it on my own." I replied. Kyo got up and retrieved the medical box and some wet cloths for me and sat back down to inspect the extent of my injuries. I unwrapped the bandages that Kaname had tied on my wrists and ankles. I also undid the one around my stomach and I spotted a large purple spot on my back. My wrists and ankles were also swollen, but not as badly as my back had been. When Kyo came back with the first aid kit and saw the extent of my injuries, he swore under his breath, making me worry about his offer to take of the girls for me. Kyo was a stubborn person and not scared of doing what he believed was right. He would go and hunt down the followers if he got the chance and if not for my insistence that it was only my problem. He finally resigned and applied a green slave on to my injuries and wrapped on the new bandages. He sighed as he rose to put away the kit.

"I guess that I'm in charge of dinner tonight and the chores since you're injured." He moaned. I smiled. Kyo loved to exaggerate.

"Thanks, onii-chan!" I said. I went up to my room, limping the whole way and changed out of my school uniform. I laid down on my bed afterwards to restore my energy and take a break from moving around. I was in my room the whole day until Kyo called me down for dinner, a meal of rice balls and fish. _"Typical. Cat will be a cat, through and through."_ I thought. Kyo seemed to read my thoughts from my facial expressions. He scowled.

"This was all that I could find in the fridge, for your information." He said. I sat down in a chair and said grace.

"Ithakimas." (Thanks for the food) I picked up a rice ball and began to eat. The rice tasted great in my mouth and I ate my entire share. Kyo had put in sweet filling, made of chicken and pork. Kyo ate the fish with his bowl of rice using chopsticks. I noticed that he hadn't made any rice balls for himself. I got up and brought my dish to the sink and placed it in the dishwasher. I went back up stairs and sat at my desk and started my homework. I had about two hours to do homework before I had to hunt. At ten forty-five, I cleaned up my homework and put on my jacket. The pain of the bruising was fading, but it still tingled and hurt when I walked too fast and stamped my foot down. I carefully walked down the stairs and left a note for Kyo that I was hunting. Kyo wasn't there, as expected and I slipped out of the house. I walked until I had reached the park. There I morphed into my four-legged form and waited for a victim. A girl and her boyfriend passed by and I ignored them. Two people were hard to deal with at the same time, especially if one of them could run fast and get help. I finally found a young man by himself. He seemed sad by something I padded over to him and he kneeled down to pat my head quickly. I padded to sit in front of him and looked at him in the eyes. They showed weariness, sadness, and loneliness. I placed my paws on his knees and he kneeled down next to me. I suddenly morphed back to my other form and the man was shocked. I didn't give him time to react. I bit into his neck and he gasped. I held him gently and drank. I laid him back on the concrete when I had finished and he had passed out. I waved a hand over his face and erased his memories. I got up and morphed back into my other form and went to another place to find a victim. Being this late at night, I didn't find many people. I wondered far from the usual place and finally stopped at another park. A woman about in her mid twenties walked by. I padded over to her and sniffed her. She smelled like she had been drinking. _"Defiantly needs a therapist."_ I thought. She patted me and then I morphed again. She was drunk so the women didn't notice the change she just hugged me and sobbed. I patted her back and then gently, bit her neck. She continued crying, until she lost consciousness. I patted her head and erased her memories also. Then I turned around and walked back to the park. I was finished for tonight until the next new moon. Until then, I could only hunt once every other day. Suddenly, I stopped. There was someone behind me. I turned around and found Kaname behind me, next to the women that I had just bit. He shook her and looked at her cautiously. He gasped when he spotted the two bite makes on her neck he looked forward and around himself, to check if I was there. I was lucky that I had been able to blend into the darkness with my dark coat. Kaname stood up and continued to walk in the direction that I was headed. I panicked. Without thinking, I bolted out of my hiding place, behind a few trees, and ran ahead of him, quickly losing him behind me. I stopped at the park close to home. I morphed back and rubbed my ankles. They were starting to burn again. Running at full speed wasn't a good idea when I had swollen ankles and bruised wrists. I stood up and composed myself, but I wasn't expecting what was going to happen to me when I saw who was standing there, just in front of me, looking shocked and frightened.


	3. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

I stood stalk still, staring at him. _"No way."_ I thought, _"How could he be here?!"_ Kaname was staring at me in bewilderment.

"Karin?" He said. His voice trembled. I got a hold of myself.

"What are you doing here?! I told you not to come here when it was during the new moon." I exclaimed. Just then, I sensed that I had even more company. I quickly jumped over to where Kaname was standing and shielded him. He gasped at my agility.

"Stay still. We have unexpected company." I hissed. I growled low in my throat. "At a time like this." I muttered under my breath. Sure enough, a figure that I knew well appeared out of the darkness in front of me. Akito. That one word rang in my head as he looked at me and sneered.

"Who is that?" Kaname asked in a whisper. I shushed him and concentrated on Akito.

"How nice to see you here, Karin." He said, "I have missed you since I last saw you." He said. I scowled and growled again.

"That's no way to greet an old friend, Karin. You should show more manners." Akito said, walking toward me and Kaname. Once he was standing three feet away, Akito stopped and caught sight of Kaname behind me. He looked at my protective stance in front of him. Sneering, Akito asked, "Oh. How rude of me. I didn't even notice your friend here. What is his name?"

"That is none of your business." I answered. Akito gave me the innocent look.

"Now, don't need to get angry." He said.

"Leave me alone, Akito. I'm not your play toy any more." I said. Akito looked slightly frustrated.

"You are what I can keep. I can do anything to you. I can control your life, Karin. Or would you like an example?" He didn't wait for an answer. Suddenly, I was flying in the air and landed heavily on the ground, knocking my head on the concrete ground. Winded, I was stunned for a minute but Akito didn't stop. He stretched out his hand towards me and it glowed red. The air around me suddenly felt denser and more compressed. I felt like I couldn't breathe. I gasped for breath and struggled against an unknown force pushing me to the ground. Kaname was stunned into silence and he stood where he had been, staring at me with utter shock. Akito cackled and brought me up. I was now struggling in mid-air. He held me there for a while before letting me drop to the ground, pale and panting for breath. Kaname suddenly came to his senses and ran over to my limp body. He kneeled down and helped me sit up slowly with my head on his shoulder. Akito was standing where I had been standing before. He looked at me with an evil hatred look in his eyes.

"You see? You're powerless to stand against me. You can't do anything and that was just a bit of my power. Trust me, you don't want to see more." With that, Akito turned and disappeared in a flurry. I was still panting and Kaname was next to me.

"Are you okay?" he asked. I nodded slowly, feeling a little less light headed, but still dizzy.

"Who was that?" he asked. I stood up and Kaname supported me.

"Its better if I explain it to you tomorrow. It's late. Tomorrow is Saturday, so come over to my house in the afternoon and I can explain what's going on." I said Kaname nodded, concern still etched on his face.

"I'll be fine enough to get home on my own so you can go now before something else happens." I told him.

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow, then. Good night." Kaname's voice was reluctant but he walked away and I limped back home. I made my way to my room slowly and stopped often to catch my breath. My body was worn out after Akito's appearance. Although Akito was a big fear of mine, it wasn't him I was afraid of. It was the fact that I had to tell Kaname now. Everything was coming unraveled. Would he reject me and run away? Could I hide and not tell him tomorrow? Questions badgered me until finally my eyes closed but I was still thinking about tomorrow.

The next morning, Kyo came into my bedroom to wake me. I didn't make a big fuss about him entering this time, which surprised him. He looked at my injuries as I sat up.

"You look kind of pale, Karin. Did something happen yesterday?" he asked, concern on his face.

"Yeah. Akito visited me again. I was at the park coming home, and not only did Akito find me, he found me with Kaname-sama. He almost strangled me last night to show me a piece of his power." I explained, "Kaname is coming over here this afternoon for me to explain myself. He found about my other form." I sighed. Kyo stood up and patted my head.

"I'm calling in to take a day off of work to watch over you." I opened my mouth to object but Kyo raised a hand in silence.

"Kaname won't know that I was here. I'll stay upstairs, hidden so he won't know. I'll only come out if you call me. Agreed." He decided by himself. I grabbed his hand as he walked out. He looked back at me, surprised.

"Arigato (Thank you), Kyo." I murmured. Kyo flashed me a grim smile then went back out to the kitchen for breakfast. I got dressed and went down stairs, as fast as my ankles would allow. I ate a small meal of cereal and juice. I didn't feel hungry with my new job coming. I cleaned up early and went to sit in the living room. I sensed Kaname before I saw him. Kyo went upstairs and hid himself and I waited for Kaname to ring the door bell. When he did, I answered it and greeted him with a cheery, "hello!" Feeling a little nervous, I led him into the house. Kaname sat on the sofa while I got us each a glass of water. After I had handed him his glass of water I dropped in the blood tablet, hoping it would calm my nerves if I had some "blood". Kaname looked at it curiously.

"It's a blood tablet." I explained to his stare, "It's a pill that keeps me calm. It has a drop of Akito's blood in it so I'm in a way connected to him. Now, where should I begin about last night?" I asked a little weary.

"Why did Akito come there? Why were you in a dog form?" He questioned. I hesitated for a moment then nodded.

"Akito is…. Kind of a 'king' in a sense. He lives at the estate and has a special power over my family. It's difficult and too complex to explain all of it and as for the dog form, that is because of my "mixed blood." I replied. I paused and took a sip of my drink before continuing.

"All of my family members are apart of the Chinese Zodiac. I'm the dog, as you saw last night. The only one that's an exception is Kyo. He's the cat. He lives with me because……. We're both kind of left out of the zodiac. We were forgotten about and left to our own devices. Now, Akito, the head of the zodiac is back and takes me as a play toy. I hate him, but at the same time, I'm scared of him. You saw last night what his powers are like. He could do anything to harm me and Kyo. Kyo already has to work hard to support us and I don't want him to do so much. I want him to be happy. Akito will no doubt come and get me again when I least expect it. He just wants to hurt me." I continued. Kaname was watching me, thoughtfully. I looked at him now.

"Now, I have a question. Why weren't you at home? I warned you that you shouldn't walk outside when it was the new moon. I-I could have attacked you, Kaname. Do you know how that could hurt? You and me?" I asked. My voice was cracking. Kaname looked down at the glass in his hand.

"Sumimasen (I'm sorry). I listened to you, but I had to go to the market place and once I had found that women on the ground, I knew that you had to be close by. I-I wanted to see how you were." He said. I looked at him sharply.

"You were worried about….me?" I repeated. Kaname nodded sully.

"I had heard from someone that you were injured. I got worried that you were going to do something dangerous, so I tried to find you." He explained. He looked at me closely for the first time.

"And I was right. You are hurt. Mate (Wait)." He leaned over the table and looked at my wrists. Then he moved his gaze to my ankles. He nodded and sat back down.

"Did I find you?" He asked. I nodded slightly embarrassed.

"You were the first one to find me after I had been injured. Thank you for patching me up. The bandages really helped." I thanked him.

"What happened that night?" He asked.

"You're followers followed me home one time and waited for me at the park. They somehow got evidence that I had been meeting with you after school there and they kind knocked me around." Kaname opened his mouth to speak but I shushed him with a hand. "I didn't bite them. I did a couple of flips and escaped. Then I limped around and ended up at the park where you found me." I told him. He breathed out in relief.

"I need to talk to them sometime. They shouldn't be beating you because I talk to you." He reasoned.

"No. They'll think that I asked you to do that and they'll find me again sometime. They tried again just yesterday. I managed to escape without getting beat, but I still ended up tripping. Probably because I'm a klutz." I said.

"But. It's not fair. You're getting hurt on an account of me. I'm going to talk to them on Monday when I see them. It's not hard to find them anyway. They're so annoying. Following me everywhere." He muttered the last part and I held back a giggle. Kaname looked at me again.

"Now, back on the subject. Why were you in your other form?" I sighed.

"It might seem cruel to you, but I use it to my advantage. I can lure people to a stray dog. But I only find those people who are sad and have had a hard time. They are the victims that I choose. I only bit you because you were the closest person to me and for some reason, your blood smelled different from everyone else's." I answered.

"Different? How?" he asked looking confused. I shrugged.

"I don't know. You just do. Your blood seems to be more pure then everyone else's. Probably because you have risen above the trouble that you were facing recently. I don't know." Kaname thought about that for a minute.

"Can you change to a dog anytime you want? Even during the day?" he asked.

"Yeah. Why?" I asked puzzled by his question.

"I know how you can evade those girls from hurting you." He said. I cocked an eyebrow encouraging him to continue.

"The girls are expecting you at the park. They won't suspect a dog padding by and going into the forest." He explained. I thought about it. True. But how would I carry my bag? I brought this to his attention.

"Simple," he said with a smile. "I can walk with you here and then follow you behind the park where no one can see you and then you can change back and go home. I won't have to go through the barrier." He said. I nodded. "I guess that will have to do for now. It doesn't seem like a bad idea." I thought. I looked at him.

"Here. I know one way we can communicate easier. It's kind of weird and I've done it with Kyo before so don't worry. You might feel a bit of pain." I walked over to him and kneeled down next to him.

"Wh-What are you doing?" He asked. I smiled.

"Don't worry. It's a way that we can communicate. I need you to cooperate. If I bite you and then give you a bit of my blood, we can communicate by mind. No talking." I explained. He was still nervous about the idea. I wrapped my arms around him like I was hugging him and then bit his neck. He gasped then went silent. I didn't drink his blood, but instead released the venom that vampires had in their fangs. I released him and he sagged in the chair. He was awake, just a bit stunned. I pressed a napkin to his neck as I used a kitchen knife that I had collected, and cut myself across my forearm. I touched a finger to the blood and after a drop was on my finger, I touched it to Kaname's lips. He swallowed the droplet of blood and sat up. I held the napkin there till the bleeding had stopped then sat back down in my chair across from him.

_"How are you?"_ I asked telepathically. He looked stunned. He opened his mouth but I shook my head.

"Think of what you want to say and send it to me." I explained.

_"L-Like this?"_ he asked. I nodded.

_"Good. Every month, you will need to drink a droplet of my blood to keep the connection strong. Now we can talk to each other during class without getting caught. Cool, huh?"_ I asked smiling. Kaname nodded. I looked at the clock. It was already almost three. We had been talking for almost two hours. I drank some of my water, realizing that I was thirsty.

"Its time for you to go. I'll see you at school." I said aloud. Kaname got up and picked up his glass. He followed me into the kitchen and placed his glass into the sink. He turned to me before he left.

"Thank you for trusting me. I promise that I won't tell anyone or betray you." He said. After that, I didn't know what happened, but Kaname was hugging me and then, he was gone. I stood there, stunned for a while until Kyo came down and looked at me, slyly. He came over and patted me on the head. Once I came to my senses, I found Kyo in the living room, sitting on the couch watching TV. I sat next to him and hugged him tightly, he chuckled.

"Thank you for being here when I need you. It means a lot to me." I murmured. He hugged me back.

"You were in need of help and we are both similar so I wanted to help. Karin, remember to try you best at everything, okay? If you don't I won't help you." He released his hold on me and I went to my room for the night. Dinner would be later and I wanted to think by myself about some other matters. I still felt the warmth from Kaname's hug. It felt weird to me, to be hugged by someone other then Kyo. Kyo and I had similar blood but Kaname and I were totally different. Did I only see him as a friend? I puzzled over this question until late at night.


	4. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Kaname indeed talked to the followers on Monday morning even after I had threatened to bite him again. He didn't listen and went to talk to them. The girls were excited when they were around Kaname. I watched as their expressions changed to one of great excitement and happiness to one of bewilderment and shock. I wondered what he was saying to them. Kisa and Hino were with me when we spotted Kaname talking to the girls. My two best friends giggled and I looked at them with a curious expression.

"He's probably talking to them about your relationship with him. Oh look, here he comes." Hino whispered to me. I turned around and sure enough, Kaname was walking over to us. Hino and Kisa giggled and left waving.

"Guys!" I called. I sighed. Kaname came up next to me and without warning; he wrapped his arms around me pulling me toward him. I heard gasps from behind him, _"probably the girls watching us."_ I thought. I pushed him back.

"What are you doing?" I gasped. He smiled. I told the girls to leave you alone and when they wanted a reason why, I told them that we were going out." He replied. My jaw fell open and he chuckled. I took his wrist and pulled him through the hallways, to the roof where no one would know what we were talking about.

"We can't, Kaname. I can't go out with you." I said. Kaname looked puzzled.

"Doshite (Why)?" He asked.

"Because of what I am. You're in danger if we're together." I pointed out. He nodded.

"But, you're one of my best friends and I only like you, Karin." When he said this, I blushed pink. I was annoyed at myself that I like Kaname back, but I couldn't really be with him. I shook my head.

"Please Kaname. It would hurt me if I ever bit you again. Last time was an accident, but what about next time. No. I can't go out with you." I turned to walk away. But Kaname walked over in five steps and hugged me from behind.

"I really like you, Karin. You know what type of person I am. I want to be with you and protect you." He said to me. I looked away from him. I shook my head.

"I'm sorry, I can't. I don't want to hurt you. Please, for both our sakes, go out with another girl." I untangled his arms and walked back into the school and made my way to my classroom. Kisa and Hino were waiting for me, but I didn't want to see them yet. I went to the bathroom instead to compose myself. I sat against the wall, hugging my knees to my chest and I let loose. Tears flowed down my face. I sat in the bathroom until the last minute. Moving slowly, I washed my face and went to class. Hino and Kisa were worried once they had caught a glimpse of my face. They instantly pulled from class and told Nikiado-sensei that they were taking me to the nurse. Michelle-sensei understood as soon as she had seen my face also. She closed off two wards for us and set us to the end of the room so no one could hear us talking.

"Okay. What happened?" they asked as soon as we were alone.

"K-Kaname…. Likes me. He asked me out but I can't." I explained. Tears filled my eyes again.

"Why?" Kisa asked, patting my back.

"I-I don't know." I finished lamely. Hino handed me a tissue and I wiped my eyes and nose. "I like him, but I'm scared kind of…" I stammered.

"Of what?" Kisa asked gently.

"Of hurting Kaname. He likes me so much, but I… can't be with him." I gasped. Sobs wracked my body and Kisa and Hino both hugged me tightly. We stayed in the nurse's office until it was the middle of second period. _"Liking Kaname really hurts."_ I thought. Michelle wanted to send me home and so did Kisa and Hino, but I argued that I should stay at school. In the end my caring friends won and I went home to shut myself up in my room. Kyo came home and fixed dinner. He had already guessed my condition and brought it to my door. He knocked and went in. I was on the bed, hugging my pillow and leaning against the wall.

"How are you?" He asked. I shook my head. "Here's dinner. You should eat something." He said still standing there. I nodded. Kyo sighed and then sat next to me on the bed. He leaned over and hugged me tightly.

"I knew Kaname was so stupid. He doesn't listen to reason does he? I should talk to him sometime and knock some sense into his stupid brain." Kyo murmured. I put a hand on his arm to stop him. He looked at me from the corner of his eye.

"No. It's my fault getting so involved with him in the first place. Don't blame him. He was just acting on his emotions. It was my entire fault." I said. My voice was just a whisper. Kyo looked at me for a while.

"Oh, Karin. You're too nice. You take all of the blame for others and carry their weight until you give out. Alright. I'll listen to you as much as I don't want to, but if he makes you cry one more time, I'll have to talk to him then. Eat now. I'm going to run an errand really fast, so take your time and leave your dishes at the door. I'll get them later. Night." Kyo squeezed me once then released me and started to leave, but then stopped at my door and turned back around.

"Why can't you be selfish just for one time, and Let you do what you feel is msot comfortable for you. Do what you want just one time, and no one will blame you for your selfish decision." That was all he said and he left. I heard the door open then shut behind him. I hugged myself tighter and laid down on my pillow. I was too tired to eat anything. What Kyo said felt a little unsual to me, since it was from him, but it felt nice to hear him say something so caring just once in a while. I just wanted to sleep, and get away from everything. I heard the doorbell ring and I ignored it. Then the door opened. Kyo couldn't be back already, could he? I waited for the intruder to open my door. When it did, I crawled to the corner of my bed. A blonde head poked in my room. The lights came on and I squinted my eyes from the sudden brightness. When I opened then wider and realized that it was Momiji that was in front of me, I ran and hugged him. Momiji hugged me back and chuckled.

"What's wrong Karin? You don't look well. Did something happen? Akito again?" he asked. I shook my head. Momiji led me back to the bed and I explained to him about Kaname, leaving out some details so I wouldn't worry my younger friend. Momiji listened quietly until I had finished. Then he hugged me again and stroked my head.

"I'm sorry that you're going through a hard time. I want to make you feel happy now. Can we do something fun? What do you want to do?" he asked. I smiled to myself that Momiji was so hyper and positive all the time.

"Let's go to the dojo. I want to blow off some stem. You want to do gymnastics again? Let's do a routine together to show Kyo when he comes back. Okay?" I suggested. Momiji nodded eagerly. We went to the dojo and set up the mats. Momiji and I stood side by side and started at the same time, flipping and twirling however we felt like doing. I bounced off the wall and flipped several front flips before twirling three times and doing a cartwheel at the end. Momiji flipped backwards and forwards twice, did two cartwheels and twirled twice at the end. We sat on the mats afterward and steadied our breathing. We did two more routines before settling on a mix of all three for a show later. I told Momiji that I could invite my two friends over and we could have a small picnic at the park and then show them the performance sometime. I didn't tell him a direct date and I knew Momiji noticed but didn't say anything. The afternoon had passed quickly with Momiji's energy and my new distraction. Before I knew it, the sun was setting and the moon had risen a few feet into the sky. He left after getting a bottle of water. I went to the living room and read a magazine while I waited for Kyo to come home from his errand. I looked at the time. It read ten thirty-four. I decided to wait for him until it was ten fifty, then I would go outside. When the time came, Kyo still wasn't home. Leaving a note, in case he came back, I put on my jacket and ran outside. I checked at the park, the nearby store and around the edge of the city. It was almost eleven forty-five by the time I got back to the park by home. I sat on the swings, breathing in the clear air when I heard foot steps. I turned around, thinking it was Kyo, but I didn't believe who I was looking at. A person who I hadn't seen for sometime.


	5. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Zero stood by the tree at the entrance to the park. He looked at me with a slightly surprised look on his face.

"Zero." I whispered to the air. He came a bit closer. I didn't know if I should have been afraid or happy that he was here, but when he came over and sat down next to me on the swings, I felt calm. We sat in silence for a while, staring at the moon and the many stars that shone in the night sky.

"How have you been?" Zero asked, breaking the silence.

"Fine. What about you?" I asked.

"I'm sorry for what happened last time. I didn't know…" His voice trailed off.

"It's fine. I don't blame you. Tell you the truth; it was the first time I was hugged by a stranger, so that's why I went berserk. You were really confusing me. Lucky for me, I only attacked one human and Kyo found me." I said, laughing nervously.

"Why are you out here?" he asked. I shook my head.

"I was looking for Kyo and I needed to sort through my thoughts. I saw Momiji earlier and we played together at my house for a bit, then he went back to the estate. Are you looking for someone?" I asked. Zero shook his head.

"I was just wandering around then I ran into you here." He replied. "I was bored at home, so I took a walk and I didn't pay attention to where I was going. I was just walking to make a point." I nodded. Zero got up.

"It's late. I'm going to go home, I guess. Have you seen Akito lately?" he asked, I nodded solemnly.

"He came to see me twice already. Once three weeks after my visit to the estate and then just four days ago." I replied. Zero made a thoughtful face.

"No wonder." He murmured.

"What? Did something happen to Akito-san?" I asked. Zero nodded.

"He's been in his room for a while. It seems that he's been using too much of his power to do something, from what I heard from the maids tending to him. I think he was visiting you if he would use so much power at one time. Akito is fine, but just a bit worn out. He probably won't visit for another month because of his power shortage." Zero explained. I nodded. I thought that he looked tired at his last visit to me when I was with Kaname. Zero turned and waving with the back of his hand, he walked away into the night. I stayed by the swings for another ten minutes then went home to see if Kyo was home yet. I was gratefully when I walked in, his shoes were there and his jacket was on the coat hanger. I went to bed that night, thinking about what Zero had said. Akito was targeting me, but he was using too much power in the process. He would have to regenerate for another month before he could come here again.

The next morning, I went back to school, feeling a lot more energetic and happy. Although I was dreading seeing Kaname, I had to deal with being with him around school. Kaname avoided me for sometime and I was okay. I later found out that Hino and Kisa had found Kaname and asked him to give me some space for a bit, until I could sort myself out. They stayed with me and kept me cheerful. My thoughts were often distracted until I was walking home in the afternoon and I had my thoughts to myself. My feelings for Kaname couldn't be answered because of my fear of harming him again. I would soon have to make up my mind to give Kaname an answer. What should I do? Kaname didn't wait for me at the park, but when I had passed the gate, I sniffed a whiff of his scent and someone else's. I sniffed around. _"Kaname was defiantly here earlier. Then someone else came by and Kaname left with him."_ I figured. The scent of the other stranger, smelled familiar somehow. I followed the scent and it led to home. I opened the door and found, Kyo and Kaname in the living room. I ducked down and crouched on the floor. I almost made it to the kitchen, when Kyo's voice reached my ears.

"I know you're home, Karin. Welcome back and we have a guest here. Why not come and say hi?" He suggested. I let out the breath I was holding and came back to the living room.

"Hi, Onii-chan. Hi, Kaname." I said. Kyo patted the seat next to him on the couch. I went over and sat down next to him.

"We've been talking, and I think that it's okay for you to go out with Kaname, if you still think so." He stated. I looked at him bewildered.

"I can't!" I exclaimed. Kyo shook his head.

"You can, Karin. You just need those blood tablets with you. As long as you don't get aggravated, then you won't need to hunt." He explained. I stared at Kyo for a while. Then, feeling like I needed to let the news sink in, I ran to my room and shut the door. I crawled to the corner of my bed by the wall, and sat there, hugging my pillow to my chest. _"I could be with Kaname even if I was a vampire."_ I repeated in my head. The news was a spark of happiness to me, but I squashed it. A knock came at the door.

"Who is it?" I asked, using my regular voice.

"It's me." Kaname's voice answered. I sighed.

"Dozo (Come in)." I said. The door opened and Kaname walked into the room, closing the door behind him. He stayed by the door, being careful to give me space in the small room.

"I'm sorry, Karin." He said. I looked at him puzzled. "I acted selfishly and forced my feelings on to you. I knew that you didn't need the extra weight then, but, I just had to tell you. So, I'm sorry for making you suffer." He apologized. I shook my head.

"I don't blame you. Thank you for telling me your feelings. I knew somewhere in my heart that I too, like you but, I was scared to admit to them and put you in danger." I said, smiling at Kaname. I got up and walked over to him. We stood a foot apart. I looked into his eyes. They showed love, affection and happiness. I moved closer to Kaname and hugged him. Kaname hugged me back.

"I can try and stay with you, but I'll leave if you are in danger from me." I thought. Kaname heard me.

"Alright. As long as I'm with you, I can try and protect you. Thank you, Karin." He agreed. We stayed together with Kyo at my home, until it was late. Kaname stayed for dinner and I was overjoyed being near him. I walked with Kaname back to the park and after, hugging me again, he waved and went home. I walked back home and when I opened the door, I felt an arm wrap around my neck and tighten in a headlock. I could still breathe but it was a little difficult. I heard Kyo's laugh at my ear.

"You looked so funny today! Being around Kaname really shows me a side of you I've never known." He said. He laughed again and rubbed his knuckles to the side of my head.

"OW!" I hollered. Still laughing, Kyo released his grip around my neck and walked up stairs for a shower. I sighed then smiled. _"At least my problems with Kaname are solved"_ I thought. If it hadn't been for Kyo's thinking, I would've still been brooding over my issues. I went upstairs and changed into my pajamas and crawled in bed. I thought about what I had done with Kaname. _"I told him about myself. Even the vampire part and my morphing on the new moon. Why am I still feeling happy and calm when I never told anyone about this side of me? Not even my best friends know about who I really am."_ I questioned myself. Then it dawned on me. I was really in love with Kaname! I blushed at the thought. We were just friends. _"No. He already asked you out though. You accepted and you're a couple now. Even Kyo said that."_ Said my inner voice. It was true. Kyo had said that we were a couple and Kaname did ask me out. I giggled to myself. It occurred to me that the followers were about to get the shock of their life tomorrow at school. I looked at the clock and finding that it was only ten fifteen, I quickly dialed Hino's number on my cell phone.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Hey, Hino! It's me, Karin!" I said.

"What's up Karin? Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry. But guess what?!" I asked excitement in my voice.

"What?" Hino asked excitement in her voice too.

"Kaname came to my house this afternoon!!" I exclaimed. Hino squealed on the other end of the line.

"Okay. I'm going to call Kisa so you can tell us at the same time and not need to repeat. She totally needs to hear this. Hold on a minute." I waited while Hino dialed Kisa and got us connected. Once we were connected, Hino made me go through an account on what happened with Kaname. I didn't give them a direct answer when Kisa asked me what Kyo said about going out with Kaname.

"I couldn't believe it when Kyo said that I could go out with him. I ran to my room, trying to let the news sink in and while I was there, Kaname came in and said that he was sorry about forcing his feelings on to me. Then he turned to leave. I quickly made up my mind and I ran to him and hugged him. He was surprised, but he hugged me back." I explained to my friends. They both squealed at the same time and I held the phone away from my ears and waited till they had stopped squealing to put it back to my ear.

"I can't believe it! You're going out now! When's your first date?" Hino asked.

"He didn't give me a direct date. He stayed for dinner and said that he would see me at school tomorrow." I replied.

"Good for you, Karin! You're already going out! Those followers won't bug you now!" Kisa exclaimed. I laughed. "Hopefully not." I agreed. Just then, I became aware that there was something else in my mind.

"It's late already. See you guys tomorrow." I said. They hung up and I closed my eyes. The connection grew stronger.

_"Kaname?"_ I asked. At first there wasn't a reply, but then there was a spark.

_"Karin? Is it you?"_ He asked.

_"Yeah. What's up?"_ I asked.

_"Are you sleeping yet_?" he asked.

_"Not quite. I just called Hino and Kisa earlier and chatted with them for a bit. They're my best friends."_ I replied. _"What are you doing?"_ I asked.

_"Nothing really. Just working on some stuff for student council. Paperwork basically."_ He answered. I nodded. _"Hey, Karin? Is this… connection from the blood?"_ he asked.

_"Yeah it is. We both drew blood."_ I replied. _"This power comes from my mixed blood. But, you must have something in your blood too for the connection to this strong."_ I added. Kaname seemed puzzled.

_"Something in my blood."_ He murmured.

_"Try researching about your past ancestors. You're probably a member of a some ancient vampire clan or a descendant of a famous vampire of the past. Which ever."_ I explained. _"Your blood has some magic properties because you can go through the barrier easily. I bet that you could have gone through it by yourself easily if you tried."_ I looked at the clock again. It was eleven already.

_"I'm going to bed. It's late. Night!"_ I said. Kaname nodded and the connection grew weaker. I drifted to sleep that night, feeling happy for the first time and calm, not know what was to happen soon because of the tingling feeling of warmth in my chest from hearing my lover's voice.


	6. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

I met up with Hino and Kisa as usual on the way to school. We talked about Kaname all the way to school and about me going out with him. I had already sensed that two of the followers were behind us. They were eavesdropping in on our conversation and I didn't try to hide it. _"Let them make out what they can."_ I thought. As I expected, the followers cornered me out on the roof again before class started.

"So, is it true? You're going out now with Kaname-sama?" the leader asked. I shrugged.

"It depends on what he told you all. But, yes, we are going out now. So?" I asked. Telepathically, I heard Kaname searching for me. I didn't answer, but instead sent him a spark. He could find me now. I counted down in my head how long it would take him to get here from where ever he was.

"Well, back down for a bit. You're not even suited to be his girlfriend. How can you go out with him, when you didn't even make up your mind the first time?!" she asked. The others nodded. My anger was fueled.

"Like you're any better. He likes me, not you so can stop it." I retorted. The other girl kept her cool. She smirked.

"Well, here's an important question. Does he really know you? Does he really love you?" She asked. I gritted my teeth. I didn't really know that. He knew what kind of person I was, but did he really know me? Just then, the door opened and Kaname walked in casually. It had taken him less than ten minutes to get here. He walked over to me and wrapped an arm around my waist. He pulled close to his side, holding but not restraining. Blood rushed to my face. The other girls gritted their teeth and gasped.

"If you'll excuse us ladies, we need to get to class, Karin. It's almost time for class to begin." Kaname said, even though it was a good twenty minutes before class began. He spun me around and we walked away from the group of gapping girls. I stopped once we were alone in the staircase.

"What was that?" I asked calming my breathing. I put a hand on the wall to steady my feet. Kaname stood next to me.

"Are you okay? You don't look well." He asked. I nodded.

"I'm fine. Just a bit dizzy. Don't worry about me." I breathed in and out from my mouth. _"Oh no."_ I thought. Gasping, I left Kaname on the staircase and ran down the stairs through the corridors and out of the building. I stopped where the trees were growing and covering a quarter part of the school grounds. I held my side and sank to the ground. I heard pounding feet behind me. Quickly pulling out the packet of blood tablets, I ate two tablets and waited for it to melt in my mouth and take effect. Kaname was panting behind me and kneeled down next to me. He placed a hand on my shoulder.

"You okay?" he asked. I nodded as I gasped for air. My head had stopped spinning, but there was a terrible head ache instead. Kaname took out a handkerchief and wiped my forehead. I smiled at him. Now the tablets were taking effect and my breathing was back to normal. I sat outside for a bit while the cool breeze of autumn was ridding me of the heat from my face. When I was ready, Kaname and I walked into class together, smiling and holding hands. I went to my desk by Kisa and Hino. They hadn't noticed that I had been gone for long. I had arrived just in time for class to begin. Nikiado-sensei took roll and led us to the gym for electives. We were finishing our fitness testing semester today in gym. I easily finished all of the tests. We went back to homeroom to start our preparations for the annual fall festival. Girls and boys of the school who participated in several club activities helped design booths for the club's fundraising. I was helping with our homeroom booth, which was making a café. My classmates were designing decorations for our café today. I told my classmates that we could do shifts of four waitresses and three waiters in the back per shift and have three shifts for the whole day. They agreed and divided up everyone into groups. It was decided that I was to be working with Hino, Kisa, Katie, Kaname, Eric and Chris. I couldn't wait to get started! The girls got into groups and designed a cute waitress outfit for us and the boys. We would have to sew our own outfits for the café. I collected the printouts of the design and agreed with Hino and Kisa that we would stop in town to collect the materials needed.

"Hey girls." Kaname said, walking over with Chris and Eric with him.

"We couldn't help but overhear that you girls were stopping into town to get materials for our costumes. Do you mind if us, three can come along?" He asked. I nodded and looked at my friends.

"Sure we don't mind. Just meet us at the front gates after school and we can go all together." Kisa said. The boys agreed and walked away. Only Kaname stayed by my side and chatted with us until homeroom was over. We left class and headed to our club activities early today because of the preparations. School would let out early for the rest of this whole week and three days into next week for the students to do preparations and get their costumes together. I met with everyone at the front gates once school was over and we headed into town together. We shopped at a small store that had all of our materials and also ended up receiving a small discount, since I was a regular costumer. We picked out several different colors and ended up with a black and white waitress and waiter's outfit. The girls all had a frilly skirt and a small apron on top of the skirt. The front of the outfit had a frilly white collar and buttons. The boys wore long pants and a black vest and a dress shirt. An apron was included with the outfit, tied around the waist. Eric and Chris left from the store and headed home early. Kaname, Hino and Kisa and I went to a coffee shop close to the clothes store and we had a small snack of juice, and coffee cake and fruit tarts. I took home a few extra for Kyo to have as desert. Hino and Kisa left from there and Kaname walked with me home. He left me at the park.

"Arigato (Thanks), Kaname. I'll see you tomorrow." I said. Before I could turn and leave, Kaname moved forward and hugged me again tightly, kissing my cheek.

"I'll see you tomorrow then." He said releasing me. I nodded and walked into the forest. I thought about the fall festival as I walked home. I wanted to do something special to surprise Kaname and all of my friends. _"Maybe we can do a performance."_ I thought. But who would do it with me? I wondered. Then an idea struck me. I ran home and quickly dialed Momiji's number. He answered on the fourth ring.

"Hello?"

"Momiji, it's me, Karin here." I said. Momiji was ecstatic to hear from me. When he had calmed down, I quickly explained to him about my plan. Momiji agreed and we planned out a routine for us to do together and separately. I told Momiji that I would get the props for our costume tomorrow and ask the teacher for permission to do the performance. I also decided to tell Hino and Kisa about it so that we could do a dance with the gymnastics. I quickly worked on part of my costume, sewing up part of the skirt and apron for me. I ran around the house, preparing dinner and working on my costume all the while planning out the festival routine. Kyo came home and found me sitting on the kitchen counter, listening to my ipod and stirring the pot of stew for dinner.

"That's dangerous, you know? The dinner could burn and then you'd be in such a rush to put out the fire, you would drop your iPod, break it and manage to trip all at the same time." He warned. I stuck out a tongue at him, annoyed that he thought I was such a klutz. Sure I did have my clumsy moments but, I wasn't that klutzy, right? That night, I worked on my costume for the café until it was late. Kaname was in my head and we talked while I worked. I didn't mention anything about a surprise performance, just avoiding the subject and turning it to the comments Kyo had suggested to me earlier at dinner. Just as Kyo had told me earlier, I did indeed, have band-aides on my fingers from the many pin pricks I received that night. I went to bed after saying good-night to Kaname and Kyo. I couldn't wait for the festival and the surprise performance for Kaname!


	7. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

I worked hard to prepare for the festival and my secret performance. My two best friends promised to keep it a secret from Kaname and we bought extra supplies and went to Kisa's house to prepare it.

"I can't wait to see your performance!" Kisa enthused. I nodded and laughed.

"I want to try out the outfit while I do a few flips here and there just to see if everything is right, is that alright with you?" I asked. My friends nodded enthusiastically. I hugged them. "You guys are the best. I really appreciate you helping me with this and all. I'll give you a taste of what my performance is like later." I promised them. We all laughed and continued working on my outfit while chatting. It took all day for us to complete my costume. I had already told Kyo that I would be staying over at Kisa's house for the night with Hino. Kisa's parents didn't mind because they were going to be busy the next few days and couldn't spend enough time with Kisa so they were grateful that Kisa was having friends over. Kisa's house was a six bedroom, five bathroom, large kitchen, living room and dining room house. A large stair case connected the two story mansion which was surrounded with lush gardens and fountains. I was truly happy when I was with Kisa and we cleared the living room the next morning for me to try out my performance. Since the room was a bigger then the dojo, I had enough room for me to move even with a small table and dresser on the side. Momiji would be coming over to my house the next day after school to try out his costume and try out his routine with me. I stood at the door to the living room and took a beginning position. Hino and Kisa were sitting on the couch on the wall next to me. They watched in awe as I started to flip, cartwheel and roll around the room, flying from position to another and then finally landing at the door again. They clapped excitedly. I smiled at them.

"You were awesome!" Exclaimed Hino.

"Wait till everyone sees you at the festival. They'll be totally struck dumb. You'll be popular for a bit, probably among the boys and girls in our class." Kisa added. I smiled nervously. Sensing my change in mood, Hino and Kisa asked what was wrong.

"It's just that, I'm actually really nervous about this. I'm starting to have doubts about this idea. Maybe it isn't such a good idea." I replied. Hino jumped up and grabbed me by the shoulders.

"It's the best idea ever! Everyone will love it, especially Kaname." She assured me. I nodded, kind of surprised at the sudden outburst from Hino. Kisa came up and held my left hand. She looked at me reassuringly.

"You'll do great. Don't worry. Just relax and do what you set out to do. That's it." she said. I nodded in thanks at both of them.

"Thanks guys." We quickly cleaned up the living room, and grabbed our books and ran to school. We made it just in time before Nikiado-sensei arrived and started the class.

"Okay, mina (everyone). Let's get started on the decorations. Everyone work on your waiter and waitress costumes for the next three days. I'll be back to check on you later." Nikiado-sensei announced. We all nodded and got started after Nikiado had left the classroom to attend to other matters. I had already finished the basic costume at home two days before. _"Now I can decorate it with sequins and ribbons."_ I thought. I collected some ribbons and sequins from the table where the decorations were set out. The girls had agreed that the costumes would be black and white, like a real restaurant, but with ribbons and sequins on the hem of the skirt and around the waist for color. Kate, one of my classmates, handed out a cutout design of a pair of wings and halo for us to sew on to the front of the costume and on the apron of the boy's costume. We were called the Angel Café. The classroom was starting to look good with some streamers on the wall, but there was still a lot of work to do. Mentally, I calculated how much time we had left and how much work was needed. There was three weeks till the festival, but we still needed to finish decorating, order treats, clean the room of dust and tidy the bookshelf and desks. It would take too long if we were working slowly. I sent a quick text message to Momiji to meet me at the park at four in the afternoon. School would let out at two thirty today, so I had two hours to work before they closed the school at four thirty. I stayed after school, finishing the streamers, and hung up the café logo on the walls. Job finished, I packed up and left. Just as I was changing my shoes in the locker area, Kaname came up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder. I smiled when I saw him behind me.

"What are you still doing here this late?" He asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just finishing the decoration." I replied. He nodded and we walked out of the locker room together. Momiji was already at the park when Kaname and I reached it. He waved at me from the distance and Kaname cocked an eyebrow. I introduced them when I stopped next to Momiji.

"Kaname, this is Momiji-san. Momiji, this is Kaname-kun. Kaname goes to my school and Momiji is a member of the 'family." I introduced. In my head, I told Kaname that Momiji was part of the zodiac as a side note. As usual, Momiji was excited to meet Kaname. They shook hands and Momiji chatted excitedly with Kaname until I told Momiji that it was time to go. I hugged Kaname and left with Momiji.

"So, is Kaname-kun like your boyfriend?" Momiji asked. I jumped in surprise at the question. Blood rushed to my face and Momiji laughed at me.

"I knew it! So this performance is for him, right? Am I right, right?" He asked. I walked in silence, while Momiji chatted away amazingly never tired from talking. Momiji was two years younger then me, but he sometimes acted older then his age. We reached the house at last. I put away my things in room and went with Momiji to the dojo. I handed him his costume and waited while he tried it on in the bathroom.

"It looks good!" He exclaimed when he came out and twirled to see the whole thing on him. I laughed and agreed.

"Let's practice now." I said, once I had my own costume on. I tied my hair in a bun and we went to the dojo. After setting up the mats, we stretched and began our routine. Momiji and I flew across the room and back, doing flips, cart wheels and tumbles. I stopped after doing the routine four times to catch my breath. I heard the door open behind me and Kyo stood at the door. Momiji stopped flipping when he had caught sight of Kyo at the door. He ran over and jumping up and down in excitement, explained that we were practicing for the festival. He looked at me, judging my expressions. I smiled.

"So, it's for your boyfriend, is it?" he said with a small smirk. My face burned with embarrassment and from the heat of exercise. I nodded and Kyo chuckled.

"So foolish once in love." He muttered. I looked at him.

"What did you say?!" I exclaimed, giving him a stern look.

"Nandamonai (Nothing)." Kyo left us to practice after that. Momiji and I practiced the three routines four more times and did a bit of our dance routine before cleaning up and changing.

"Would you like to stay for dinner, Momiji? I can cook something you like if you tell me what it is." I offered when we were putting the mats away. Momiji shook his head.

"It's alright. I have to go home and do some work, so maybe another time, okay, Karin-san?" Momiji sounded apologetic.

"It's fine. I have Kyo anyway. He's always here, but he's my brother, so got to live with it, right?" I laughed. Momiji laughed too and I walked him to the door.

"Be careful on your way home, Momiji. There might be some girls around here and make sure they don't run into you." I warned. Momiji nodded and jogged off after waving good-bye. I went back inside and sat down at the table. It was Kyo's turn to make dinner tonight and he decided to make us a meal of soba noodles and fresh vegetables. I dug in once my bowl was set before me and we had said grace. It was delicious.

"Are you going to my school festival?" I asked Kyo.

"Maybe. Doshite (Why?)" he asked.

"Oh nothing. Just curious, that's all." I replied. I had a feeling that Kyo wanted to come and keep a watch over me at all times.

"Do you have work, since you don't know if you're coming?" I asked. He nodded.

"I'll drop by in the afternoon. Your class is doing a café, correct?" he asked. I nodded. "I'll bring Momiji with me so he'll be guarded and won't get lost or hugged. But, try and keep the girls at bay for me." He said. I shook my head smiling.

"I can't. The girls will like gravitate around you once you step through the gates. Just be careful around them. I'll get Hino and Kisa to help you. You know them right?" I suggested. He nodded. Then a thought occurred to me.

"Actually, I'll let you deal with them alone. Kisa and Hino might know you, but they'll be helping me with the café and getting ready for the performance then. So, too bad." I said with an off hand tone as a joke. Kyo stared at me in utter surprise and bewilderment. I got up, smirked at Kyo, who gritted his teeth at me, and brought my plate to the sink.

Laying in bed that night, I thought about Kaname. I wanted to do something for him, since he had done so much for me already. Keeping my secrets wasn't an easy task and I was thankful that he had kept them so far. I tried to find him telepathically, but all I got was an empty mind. _"Must be sleeping."_ I sighed. I dreamt of nothing except festivals that night.


	8. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Two weeks passed with great activity. I stayed after school four more times and finished the preparations for the room. My classmates were stunned when they walked into a clean room, ready for the festival the next morning after I had cleaned it the afternoon before. Kaname stayed and helped me also, after he had found out about my effort to speed up the process. It was four days till the festival that things went a little crazy. I walked into the classroom the next morning to find Nick and Kyle arguing. A few students from our class were trying to calm them down.

"What's going on?" I asked Hino. She shrugged and we moved closer to see what the problem was.

"It wasn't my fault!" exclaimed Kyle. He looked angry and frustrated.

"Yes it was! I obviously didn't do it!" Nick retorted. I stepped forward.

"What's wrong?" I asked, putting a gentle hand on their shoulders and pushing them an apart. Both boys looked at me.

"This morning, I came in to the classroom and found it perfectly clean. Then when Kyle walked in, so I went to get a food ordering sheet. A senpai called to me and asked me to help after I got back and I just left the sheets there for one minute, but when I walked back in, they were torn up on the ground. Kyle was in here the whole time. It was his fault." Nick explained.

"That's a lie!" Exclaimed Kyle. The boys were face to face and I pushed them back again.

"Why not get some more sheets instead of fighting?" I demanded.

"There aren't any more left. Some other class took the last ones and the food orders were told to be sent in today." Nick replied. I nodded. Then an idea popped in my head.

"Why not make our own? We can borrow the kitchen in the home ec room and bake cookies and tarts for our café." I suggested. The boys look surprised. They obviously hadn't considered this idea at all. The other students nodded.

"That makes sense. Good idea Karin-chan." Said Kate and Carly. I smiled.

"Let's get started then. We have a lot to do. I'll go to the kitchen and start baking. Who's coming with me?" I asked. Four girls raised their hands, including Hino and Kisa.

"I guess everyone else can stay here and continue with the decoration then." I said. We all nodded and then got to work. I ran out to my locker and grabbed my apron and ran back to the kitchens. The other four girls had already gotten their aprons and started to gather the ingredients. I found several heart, star, teddy bear and circle cookie cutters in the cupboards. _"Perfect!"_ Three girls prepared the dough and the other two used the cookie cutters and arranged the cookies on to a pan, then into the oven. My arms ached after making three batches of cookies and the other girls were rubbing their arms and wiping their foreheads of sweat with handkerchiefs. I took out my own and wetting it, I wiped my face. By then, we had finished four batches and two more were in the oven.

"I think this should be enough, girls." I said. They nodded. You guys can go back and get the basket to put the cookies in. I can stay here and take out the cookies and let them cool." I suggested.

"Thanks, Karin-chan." Hino said. She undid her apron and hung it up. Everyone followed and they left. I sniffed the air. The smell of cookies was intoxicating. It smelled so delicious. I sat down on a stool and waited for the two batches of cookies to finish baking. Once they were finished, I took them out and set them on the counter. Hino and Kisa came back with the small baskets.

"The other girls were needed in the classroom so we came." Kisa explained. I nodded. We packed in all of the cookies and brought back the baskets to the classroom. I arrived and gasped. Streamers were hung up, tables were set, vases of flowers were on the tables and everything was ready.

"This looks great!" I exclaimed. Everyone nodded. Then I frowned. "There seems to be something missing though." I said. I looked at front of the classroom. It was bare. I snapped my fingers. I looked at the clock. It was eleven forty-five. I excused myself and dashed to the art room. Some of the students were watching from behind me, curiously and a bit confused. I brought back a long sheet of paper for a mural and three sets of paint and two sets of markers and crayons. I raced back to the classroom and set them on the tables.

"We can paint a welcome sign and put it up at the front of the classroom. The board looks kind of blank, so this will help cover more space." I explained to my classmates. They nodded in agreement. I drew a design of our café logo and the word welcome in big letters on the paper and my classmates painted them and drew little swirls and squiggles to decorate it. I stood back and admired our work. The boys took some string and tape and hung it up on the black board. We all smiled when we looked around the decorated classroom. Everything was ready and we were finished early. I sat down in a chair with Hino, Kisa and Kaname around me.

"This was a great idea, Karin-chan. You're very clever and smart." Kaname complimented. He took my hand in his and squeezed it gently.

"Thanks. It was everyone that got it finished so fast." I replied. Hino and Kisa came up and placed a hand on my both of my shoulders.

"We are totally lucky to be your friends." They said. I laughed and stood up to hug them both.

"I'm lucky to have such good friends." I laughed. We all laughed. For the last three days till the festival, my classmates finished their costumes and prepared the food by hand. Nikiado-sensei was surprised when we explained to him that we were finished two days early. He smiled at us.

"I see that you all have been working very hard. You all deserve a day outside. I will allow everyone here to get a free day today. Go outside, do your club activities and have some fun. Stay on the school grounds and be considerate to other classrooms and their work. Dismissed." Nikiado-sensei ordered. We all cheered and packed our stuff away. Hino, Kisa wanted to stay out in the sunshine and enjoy the weather. I was heading over to the pool, when Kaname stopped me.

"Nani (What is it)?" I asked cocking m head to the side curiously.

"Want to go on a date with me?" He asked. I blushed and nodded a little surprised at the sudden question.

"Since we're here tomorrow, let's make the school festival our date." He suggested.

"Sure. I'll see you then." I said. Kaname hugged me once then let me out to the pool. I changed and jumped into the pool.

"This feels great!" I exclaimed. No one was with me at the pool so I was free to do anything I wanted. I practiced diving for a while, and then swam several meters before stopping and laying on my back, floating and looking up at the sky. I sighed. The school festival was tomorrow, I had a date with Kaname, today was a free day and I had an awesome performance to give everyone. Things couldn't have been better. I got out of the water and showered, changing back into my school uniform. I sent a text message to Momiji that we would be practicing again today at two forty-five. I packed my clothes and headed back to the school building. The bell would dismiss us soon. I was going to go home and practice till I was ready. _"Tomorrow…"_ That thought was all that I was thinking about the whole way there.


	9. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

I blinked. Sunshine streamed through my window blinds, waking me up. I looked at my clock. It was still early for me to get up, but I was so excited that I couldn't fall back to sleep like I normally did. I sniffed. I smelled eggs and bacon downstairs. _"Kyo must already be up making breakfast."_ I dressed and washed my face. Then grabbing my bag, I ran downstairs and had breakfast with Kyo.

"I'm heading out now. I'll drop by and bring Momiji with me this afternoon. What time is your performance?" He asked. I swallowed my mouth full of eggs and answered, "I'm on my café shift till noon. My performance is at two thirty. So drop by at one forty-five. I want to do a few warm ups with Momiji before we start. Hino and Kisa will be with me then, so I can introduce them. Kaname's going to be in the crowd, so can you get him and bring him to the performance stage when the time comes?" I asked. Kyo sighed.

"Fine. Well, I'm leaving, kiddo." He said ruffling my hair. I glared at him then stuck my tongue out at him playfully.

"I'm NOT A KIDDO!" I hollered after him. I huffed. I cleaned up the dishes then left for school. I reached the park and found Kaname waiting for me. I ran up to meet him.

"Ohio (Good morning)." I greeted.

"Good morning to you too. Are you ready for today's festival?" he asked. I nodded.

"I can't wait for it to start. But why are you waiting here for me? Don't you have morning duties?" I asked. He smiled.

"No. I switched with Zach so I'm doing morning duties tomorrow. As for your other question, I wanted to wait for my girlfriend and walk with her to school. Isn't that okay?" He asked innocently. I blushed. We walked in silence for a while.

"Is Kyo coming to the festival today?" Kaname asked, breaking the silence.

"Yeah. Momiji's coming too. Why?" I asked. Kaname shook his head.

"I just thought that he'd be busy, that's all. It'll be nice for him to come to the café." Kaname answered. We made small talk while we walked to school together. Some students around us looked at me and Kaname, curiously when we walked past the gate.

"I guess they still don't know." Kaname muttered under his breath. I nodded. Suddenly, Kaname took my hand and we walked in to the school building and through the hallways, holding hands. He let me go when we had reached our classroom. My face was burning from being stared at the whole time and I had slowly moved closer to Kaname for security. Some of my classmates looked at my curiously when I let out a sigh of relief.

"What's wrong, Karin?" Kate asked.

"Oh nothing. I just can't wait for the festival to begin. That's all." I lied. She nodded then went back to her friends. Kaname was still standing next to me. He put a hand on my shoulder and I jumped, forgetting that he was there.

"Sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to do that." He apologized. I looked at him confused. Then I heard a shout from outside the classroom. I opened the door and saw students milling about. But what I heard wasn't from the students walking by, but what a group of girls were saying.

"I saw Kaname holding hands with this one girl this morning. Is he going out with someone now?" they whispered. I slipped back into the classroom and shut the door. Kaname was looking at my face.

"I guess that's come out. Oh well. I'm not complaining. It would have come out sooner or later anyway." I said. Kaname smiled and hugged me.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause you any trouble." I shook my head, hugging him back.

"I'm not complaining. I'm kind of glad that this came out." I unwrapped my arms and went to my desk and set my bag down. Just as I was settling down, a group of my classmates, all girls, surrounded me, hands on hips. They looked at me sternly. I was startled, by not the number of girls around me or that they could beat me there, but by the look in their eyes. It wasn't a look of jealousy, like the followers, but one of envy.

"What's up, guys?" I asked nervously, trying to break the tension.

"Is it true then? You're going out with Kaname-kun?" they asked. I nodded, slowly, watching their reactions. Suddenly they dropped their stance and hugged me, squealing excitedly.

"You're so lucky!" One of them exclaimed. By then, several of the boys had heard what was going on and were talking with Kaname about it. I looked over at him. He was relaxed and looked happy. _"At least they aren't hassling him. But, I wonder…."_ I thought. I looked toward the desk where the one follower sat. As I expected, her desk was empty. _"Probably off to tell the leader."_ The girls asked me question after question until the bell rang. My mouth was dry from talking so much and Hino gave me her water bottle. I gratefully drank from it.

"Guess everything came out, huh?" She asked. I nodded and handed the bottle back to her.

"It's okay. It would have come out sooner or later." I replied. Hino smiled at me. The door opened and Kisa walked in.

"Hey girls." She greeted. We all said hello. Kisa sat down in front of me and put away her bag under her desk.

"So, are you ready, Karin?" She asked her voice lowered. I nodded excitedly.

"Yeah. Kyo's bringing Momiji with him this afternoon. You guys can keep a look out for him. He's really hard to miss with his orange hair. Also, make sure that Kaname doesn't follow me when I finish my shift. He asked me on a date yesterday. He promised that he would be with me during the whole festival today." I replied. Hino and Kisa squealed in excitement when I mentioned my date.

"Good job." Hino said, giving me the thumbs up sign.

"Nice going." Kisa said, patting me on the back. I smiled. "We'll be sure to check that everything is going to be perfect for your performance, okay? No worries." Kisa assured me. I smiled. Nikiado- sensei walked into the classroom and silenced everyone.

"Alright. The festival shall begin! Everyone get dressed and prepare. I want three students outside per shift to greet people. Everyone, go!" Sensei announced. Everyone let out a cheer and scrambled to get ready. All of the girls on the first shift ran to the bathroom and got dressed. I finished dressing quickly and hurried back to the café. Kaname, Eric and Chris were already in their uniforms and waiting for guests. Hino and I took Kaname and Eric's place at the entrance to the café. Kisa came up and Chris went to the back with Kaname and Eric to prepare drinks and snacks for the guests.

Then, the families arrived. A couple at first, then crowds of people, walking up and down the hallways, talking to friends and looking at the variety of booths. People started to come into the café and along with everyone there, I was busy running around, serving food and drinks to guests. Our shift ended at noon, and Hino and Kisa pushed me out of the café as soon as possible. Kaname looked at us, curiously as we left the classroom. Kaname entered my mind to find me as he tried to follow but got lost in a large crowd.

_"Where are you?"_ he asked me.

_"This is private, Kaname. Just wait at the performance area. Kyo and Momiji will be coming and I'll meet up with you there. For now, enjoy yourself. I got to do things first. See you later."_ I answered. His connection faded and I was with Hino and Kisa again, behind the school.

"Okay. Your performance is at two-thirty and you have a date with Kaname-kun. We'll be by your side until the performance begins. What time is Momiji coming?" Hino asked.

"I think Kyo was bringing him at two. I told him this morning that I wanted us to do a few warm ups before beginning. He should be here in, "I checked my watch, "forty-five minutes." I said. Hino and Kisa nodded.

"We can hang out here until its time. Do you want anything to eat or drink?" Kisa asked. I nodded. It was lunch time and I was hungry.

"Can you buy me some soba noodles and a drink? Do you want me to hide out here with Hino?" I asked Kisa nodded and left to buy my food. Hino and I rehearsed what my routine was going to be and finalized it. I texted Momiji quickly and gave him a quick description of our routine. He replied and agreed with it. Momiji had his costume with him and I was to change into my costume any minute now. Kisa came back with my lunch and I quickly ate and then I ran to the changing room for performers and changed into my costume. I sniffed the air. Momiji and Kyo were already here and Momiji was running here. I connected with Kaname in my mind.

_"Get to the performance area now. I'll be there in a few minutes."_ I said.

_"I'm already there. Where are you?"_ He asked. I felt him looking for me, but to no avail.

_"No time to explain. I'll find you. It will be easy, trust me."_ I replied, smiling. Our connection faded and I made a mental note to give him more of my blood. Kisa and Hino went to the teacher that was assigned to take care of the performances that were happening. I was to go on right before the cheerleaders as an opening for them and to conclude their performance, Momiji and I were going to give the audience a special dance performance. I walked out side and behind the stage. I had twenty minutes to go. My chest was tight with anxiety from waiting and then it loosened slightly when I spotted Momiji next to me.

"Thank goodness you're here. I was getting worried that I would have to do the routine by myself." I gasped. Momiji smiled encouragingly at me.

"Don't worry, Karin. I won't blow this for you. I was kind of late, because the girls pounced on us as soon as Kyo and I walked five steps past the gate of your school. It was hard getting away from them. Luckily, Kaname-sama saved us and helped us elude the mass of girls. Kyo almost transformed, but Kaname kept them at bay." Momiji explained. I smiled.

"Sorry about the girls. They are so gutsy these days. Wait till they find out that I'm his sister, and then they'll really get moving." I joked. Momiji laughed. A teacher walked up to us.

"Are you two the Karin and Momiji pair with the cheerleaders?" She asked. I nodded.

"We are ready to go when they are." I replied. She nodded and motioned to the mc to announce us. My nervous were going haywire until Momiji touched my arm and smiled at me. I nodded at him thankfully.

"Now, we have a special performance by one of our students at this school along with her cousin. This is a performance with an opening and ending by these two people. The cheerleaders will demonstrate their skill in the middle. Now, please welcome Momiji and Karin!" The mc announced. A cheer went up and Momiji and I entered by flipping out on to the stage. More cheers went up as we landed and smiled at the crowd. I looked around for Kaname-kun as Momiji flipped and cart wheeled around the stage. Finally, I spotted him at the center of the crowd next to Kyo, smiling at me. I smiled back and waved as Momiji and I exited the stage and the cheerleaders entered, shaking pom poms in the air. Momiji and I slapped high fives after we had left the stage. We quickly changed to our dance costumes and prepared to finish the show. The cheerleaders demonstrated their routine for fifteen minutes then flipped and jumped off the stage to allow for Momiji and me to enter once again to deafening applause. The energetic beat of the music moved my body as Momiji and I flipped and danced. Finally, Momiji and I did a front flip and a dive roll together and landed at the edge of the stage on one knee. The crowd stood up and cheered. Smiling broadly, Momiji and I stood up and bowed to the audience. When I went back stage, I was surprised to find Kaname, with a bouquet of roses in his arms, waiting for me.

"Congratulations." He said. I smiled. "These are from the audience. Looks like they accept that we're going out so they gave it to me to hand to you." He explained, giving me the bouquet. I smiled and sniffed the flowers. They smelled nice. I went over to Kaname and hugged him. He chuckled.

"That performance was for me wasn't it?" he asked. I nodded.

"Arigato (Thank you). That was beautiful. Now I know you're good at everything." He joked. I squeezed him tighter and he stopped laughing and looked down at me, curiously.

"I wanted to give you something in return for what have been doing for me. Keeping my secrets and everything to help me. That was the least I could do for you. I needed to thank you." I said. I felt a tear sliding down my face. Kaname lifted my head up with his hand and wiped away the tears. He smiled at me.

"I'll wait for you over there with Kyo and Momiji. Go change and we can go look at the booths together, okay?" He asked. I nodded and smiled. I let him go and went to change in the restrooms. Momiji had already finished changing when I came out. I found Kyo, Momiji and Kaname waiting for me behind the stage.

"I'm leaving, Karin. Too many girls." Kyo said.

"Doshite (Why)? I wanted to show you the café." I protested. Kyo shook his head.

"I need to leave. There is too much of a risk that I'll morph here. I can't. I'm also taking Momiji. The girls adore a cute kid like him." He replied. Understanding, I nodded. Kyo smiled at me and patted my head. Momiji smiled at me.

"Its okay, Karin. As much as I love being adored, it's too risky like Kyo said. I'll see you again. Besides, I had someone record the performance and I'll give you a copy of the video later. Have fun with Kaname-sama." He said cheerily. I nodded. I loved Momiji's positive personality.

"I will!" I said. Momiji smiled at me and then left with Kyo. I turned to Kaname.

"Where to first?" I asked.

"How about to the games? Let's see what's fun first." He suggested. We walked side by side, holding hands. I tried to avoid bumping into as many people as possible so that they wouldn't feel the temperature of my skin and shy away. I was always shy in crowds because of the monster inside of me and my curse. Just as we were passing the last of the food booths, a group of girls and boys passed us and bumped into me. I lost my balance, almost falling on to the ground. At the last minute, Kaname-kun grabbed my hand and pulled me toward him. He wrapped his arms around me to steady me and I felt the heat rise in my cheeks again. We were closer than before.

"Are you okay?" he asked. I nodded and he let me go. Then he turned and continued walking, still holding my hand. We found some games to play and soon, both Kaname and I were laughing and having a good time. We finally stopped to rest at the school courtyard on the grass. Fireworks and the dance would begin soon. I noticed that Kaname was still holding my hand.

"Did you have fun tonight?" he asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, Arigato gozaimasu (thank you so much). Actually, this was my first school festival. I normally didn't go to one incase I morphed and cased trouble at school." I explained. I sighed happily and looked at the sky. Stars were shinning brightly tonight and the moon was a crescent. Suddenly, fireworks were shot up into the sky and the night was covered in bright colors of purple, blue, green, red, yellow and, silver. I smiled. Lost in the moment and finding myself tired, I leaned my head on Kaname's shoulder. He was taller then me so I was comfortable. Then realizing my actions, I tensed and glanced up at Kaname. He was still looking at the fireworks and didn't seem to mind so I slowly relaxed and watched the fireworks, leaning on Kaname's shoulder, my first love.


End file.
